Essay: Zen Buddhism
Review the Chapter: Ordination and precepts in the platform sutra by paul groner
Essay requirements:
• Answer the following questions. Your written response should be no more than 4 to 5 pages in length (12-point font, double-spaced)
• No outside research is required; that said, you are expected to consult class readings, as well as lecture notes, in the composition of your essay
• Be sure to include a bibliography of all your sources (primary and secondary)
• You are free to follow the citation method (footnotes, endnotes, in-text citations) and style manual (MLA, Chicago, APA) of your choice, but be consistent throughout (that is, follow the same citation method and style conventions throughout your essay)
Answer the following questions:
Question 1: In his article "The Platform Sutra as the Sudden Teaching," Peter Gregory outlines the sudden approach to enlightenment espoused by the so-called Southern School of Chan Buddhism. Specifically, he focuses on two key sections of the Platform Sutra-the poetry
contest between Shenxiu and Huineng and Huineng's sermon-to explain the doctrinal underpinnings of the subitist position forwarded in the text.
In 4 to 5 pages write your own commentary on the Platform Sutra "mind verses" drawing on Gregory's insights. First, identify the main metaphors developed in the mind verses of both Shenxiu and Huineng, reflecting briefly on the intertextuality of the verses. Next, explain how key metaphors (for example, the "mirror") are used to elucidate key Buddhist concepts like "nonduality" and "inherent buddhahood." While you should focus on the mind verses themselves, feel free to cite from other sections of the Platform Sutra to draw out their meaning.
Be specific and stick to your texts (primary and secondary).
Question 2: In his article "Ordination and Precepts in the Platform Sutra," Paul Groner identifies several important Mahayana rituals, including the taking of refuge, the recitation of bodhisattva vows, repentance, and the conferral of precepts. In addition, he discusses the role of ordination in the formation of Buddhist identities (monastic, lay), and outlines historic debates over the proper interpretation of the precepts.
In 4 to 5 pages I would like you to discuss the Platform Sutra's innovative approach to certain of these core Mahayana rituals. Specifically, I would like you to explain what is meant by the related concepts of "formless repentance" and the "formless precepts" presented in the text.
Begin by briefly describing the ordination ceremony found in the Platform Sutra, commenting on its overall structure and length. Next, explain the text's "sudden" take on "standard" ordinations by defining its "formless" approach. Be specific and stick to your texts (primary and secondary).